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NEWS
A look at how bills of interest fared
Here's a look at how other bills of interest fared during the West Virginia Legislature's 60-day session.
Any bills that passed still need approval from Gov. Joe Manchin:
ATVs: A bill (SB 567) that would have banned ATVs on paved roads passed the Senate, but died in the House Roads and Transportation Committee in the waning days of the session. The bill would have addressed a loophole in a 2004 ATV safety bill that allowed ATVs on paved roads without center lines.
The bill would have banned ATVs on paved roads except to cross them. Local governments would have had flexibility in weakening or strengthening the bans.
With 99 ATV-related deaths in West Virginia in 2006 and 2007, the state has the highest ATV death rate per capita in the nation.
Gov. Joe Manchin said Saturday he was discouraged that the bill didn't pass.
"ATVs just aren't designed for paved roads," he said.
"It's a bill that made perfect sense to me."
CELL PHONES: Talking on a cell phone while driving will still be allowed in West Virginia. A bill that would have prohibited the practice unless drivers used hands-free devices passed the House, but stalled in the Senate.
CONCEALED WEAPONS: A bill that would have restricted public access to the names of people who have concealed weapon permits faltered in the House of Delegates in late February.
DRUG SALES: A bill (SB 524) that would have imposed stiffer penalties against drug dealers if one of their customers died of an overdose passed the Senate, but stalled in the House Judiciary Committee during the last week of the session.
The bill would have created the criminal offense of liability for manufacturing, selling or dispensing certain controlled substances causing death. It would have carried a penalty of up to life in prison.
Cabell County Prosecutor Chris Chiles helped craft the bill in an effort to address an increase in the sale of heroin in the county during the past year. Cabell authorities have linked the drug to at least 12 deaths in the county since April 2007.
FREE CLINICS: A bill that would provide state oversight over how free health clinics dispense prescription drugs has passed the Legislature. The bill would put 10 free clinics, including Ebenezer Medical Outreach in Huntington, under the jurisdiction of the state Board of Pharmacy, which proposes to regulate them under the special category of "charitable pharmacies."
The board wants to make sure a pharmacist is in charge at each clinic to ensure drugs are being packaged and distributed properly. Clinic administrators have complained that the bill puts an unfair burden on them and may lead to some patients being denied medication.
HOUSING: Three bills aimed at holding property owners more accountable for maintaining their property and giving cities more flexibility in dealing with dilapidated property passed the Legislature. A fourth bill, which would have authorized the state Insurance Commission to establish rules requiring insurance companies to escrow a portion of a fire damage claim for cities to use for cleanup costs, died Saturday in the Senate.
JAIL COSTS: More than a half-dozen bills aiming to reduce counties' regional jail costs floundered in the Legislature. Two bills that originated in the House Judiciary Committee during the last two weeks of the session also went nowhere.
One of those bills would have allowed counties to hire temporary magistrates to serve during off-hours, while another would have established a commission to study incarceration population and jail costs.
MUNICIPAL PENSIONS: A bill that would have provided relief to ailing municipal pension funds passed the Senate, but faltered in the House. A funding component of the bill that would have provided $15 million to municipal pensions from a tax increase on fire and auto insurance policies was met with strong opposition from rural delegates.
PARK DISTRICT: A bill (SB 676) that gives park districts immunity from meritless lawsuits involving people who are injured while acting carelessly on park property passed the Senate, but died when it reached the House Judiciary Committee.
The bill stemmed from state lawmakers' discussions with the Greater Huntington Park and Recreation District officials about the district's financial struggles.
One out of every five tax dollars the district receives goes to pay insurance premiums. The park district's insurance costs have increased about 300 percent in the past 10 years, and it is partly because it has had to pay out hundreds of thousands of dollars in lawsuit settlements, Huntington Park District President Jim McClelland has said.
WAYNE JUDGE: Wayne County would get a second circuit court judge beginning Sept. 1, under a bill (SB 291) that passed Friday.
The 24th Judicial Circuit was identified in a statewide study last year as having the greatest need for an additional judge among the 31 circuits.
The new judge would be appointed by the governor and would run for election in 2010.
